US10750831B2ActiveUtilityA1

Watchbands with hook and loop fasteners

91
Assignee: APPLE INCPriority: Jul 28, 2017Filed: Jul 28, 2017Granted: Aug 25, 2020
Est. expiryJul 28, 2037(~11 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Benjamin Andrew ShafferYoji HamadaMotohide HatanakaHsiang Hung ChenEiryo Shiraishi
A44D 2205/00A44C 5/2071A44C 5/0053A44B 18/0023G04B 37/1486A44C 5/20A44C 5/14
91
PatentIndex Score
8
Cited by
24
References
23
Claims

Abstract

A watchband can comfortably secure an electronic device to a wrist of a user. The watchband can include a base having a contact surface opposite an engagement surface, contact loops on the contact surface for contacting a user, and engagement loops on the engagement surface for engaging hooks. The hooks can be provided on the engagement surface, opposite some of the contact loops. The base can include base threads, and the contact loops and engagement loops can be formed by contact threads and engagement threads woven about some of the base threads between the contact surface and the engagement surface. Between adjacent engagement loops, the engagement thread can be more securely attached to the base than is the contact thread between adjacent contact loops.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A watchband comprising:
 a base having a contact surface opposite an engagement surface; 
 contact loops extending from the contact surface and away from the engagement surface for contacting a user; 
 hooks on the engagement surface and opposite some of the contact loops; and 
 engagement loops extending from the engagement surface and away from the contact surface for engaging the hooks. 
 
     
     
       2. The watchband of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 hook pads supporting the hooks on the engagement surface, each of the hook pads being attached to the base, being spaced apart from every other hook pad along the base; 
 a housing connector affixed to a first end of the base and configured to connect to a first side of a watch housing; 
 a retaining ring configured to connect to a second side of the watch housing, the retaining ring slidably retaining the base within a hole of the retaining ring; and 
 a stopper affixed to a second end of the base for stopping the base from sliding out from the retaining ring; 
 wherein the contact loops are formed by a contact thread woven between the contact surface and the engagement surface, and wherein the engagement loops are formed by an engagement thread woven between the contact surface and the engagement surface. 
 
     
     
       3. The watchband of  claim 2 , wherein the hook pads are located between a longitudinal midpoint of the base and a longitudinal end of the base. 
     
     
       4. The watchband of  claim 2 , wherein the stopper has a maximum dimension that is larger than a maximum dimension of a hole of the retaining ring. 
     
     
       5. The watchband of  claim 1 , wherein the engagement loops are woven into less than an entire length of the engagement surface. 
     
     
       6. The watchband of  claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the contact surface supporting the contact loops is greater than a surface area of the engagement surface supporting the engagement loops. 
     
     
       7. A watchband comprising;
 a base comprising base threads and having a first surface opposite a second surface; 
 a first thread woven about some of the base threads between the first surface and the second surface and forming first loops extending beyond the first surface and away from the second surface; and 
 a second thread woven about some of the base threads between the first surface and the second surface and forming second loops extending beyond the second surface and way from the first surface. 
 
     
     
       8. The watchband  claim 7 , wherein the base comprises base threads that are transverse to the first thread and the second thread, wherein the first thread is secured about some of the base threads between adjacent first loops, and wherein the second thread is secured about some of the base threads between adjacent second loops. 
     
     
       9. The watchband of  claim 8 , wherein the base threads form two plies of fabric, each of the plies having an elastic thread extending transverse to the base threads. 
     
     
       10. The watchband of  claim 8 , wherein, between the adjacent second loops, the second thread is secured about a greater number of the base threads than is the first thread between adjacent first loops. 
     
     
       11. The watchband of  claim 7 , wherein, between adjacent second loops, the second thread extends alternatingly between the first surface and the second surface a greater number of dines than does the first thread between adjacent first loops. 
     
     
       12. The watchband of  claim 7 , wherein a total number of the first loops extending beyond the first surface is greater than a total number of the second loops extending beyond the second surface. 
     
     
       13. The watchband of  claim 7 , wherein a distance between adjacent second loops is greater than a distance between adjacent first loops. 
     
     
       14. The watchband of  claim 7 , wherein a density of the first loops extending beyond the first surface is greater than a density of the second loops extending beyond the second surface. 
     
     
       15. The watchband of  claim 7 , wherein the first thread and the second thread are fused to some of the base threads. 
     
     
       16. The watchband of  claim 7 , wherein the first thread and the second thread are segments of a continuous strand. 
     
     
       17. The watchband of  claim 7 , wherein each of the first loops extends over the first surface by a longitudinal length that spans multiple base threads, and wherein each of the second loops extends over the second surface by a longitudinal length that spans multiple base threads. 
     
     
       18. The watchband of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a third thread woven about some of the base threads between the first surface and the second surface and forming third loops extending beyond the first surface, wherein the first loops extend over the first surface at diMrent longitudinal locations than do the third trips; and 
 a fourth thread woven about some of the base threads between the first surface and the second surface and forming fourth loops extending beyond the second surface, wherein the second loops extend over the second surface at different longitudinal locations than do the fourth loops. 
 
     
     
       19. A watchband comprising:
 a base having a contact surface opposite an engagement surface; 
 a contact thread forming contact loops on the contact surface for contacting a user; and 
 an engagement thread forming engagement loops on the engagement surface for engaging hooks; 
 wherein, between adjacent engagement loops, the engagement thread is more securely attached to the base than is the contact thread between adjacent contact loops. 
 
     
     
       20. The watchband of  claim 19 , wherein the engagement thread is secured to the base by an attachment that is stronger than a force applied to the engagement loops when disengaging the hooks from the engagement loops. 
     
     
       21. The watchband of  claim 19 , wherein, when the watchband is worn by a user, the contact loops maintain an air gap between the user and the base. 
     
     
       22. The watchband of  claim 19 , wherein, when the watchband is worn by a user, the contact loops are configured to draw moisture away from the user. 
     
     
       23. The watchband of  claim 19 , wherein the watchband is stretchable along a longitudinal axis.

Cited by (0)

No later patents cite this yet.

References (0)

No backward citations on record.